Orthopedic braces and supports are arranged to restrict, inhibit, immobilize, or otherwise control motion about anatomical segments or joints of the human body. These braces and supports provide compression, support, and stability. Many known braces and supports incorporate rigid members and hinges for immobilizing a joint or facilitating movement of the joint. Orthopedic bracing has tended toward greater rigidity to provide ultimate immobilization with a reduced margin of error in mobility, thus many device designs are over-engineered.
There tends to be an inverse relationship between the rigidity of the device and patient comfort/compliance. The more rigid the device is, the less likely it will be worn, especially over extended periods of time. If the patient removes a required device to increase comfort, rehabilitation may be hampered and risk of further injury may be elevated.
Flexible braces and supports exist which offer compression, support, and stability. However, many are formed from synthetic materials such as Neoprene. These types of braces can give rise to allergic reactions and get hot. Because they typically rely on a sheet of homogeneous material, they lack areas having different properties, and may be ill-fitting or ineffective as a joint requires different areas of compression.
Orthopedic devices, such as flexible orthopedic devices and sleeves, provide anatomical fit by conforming to a user's anatomy for physiologically correct support. They are flexible and arranged for contouring to a body or joint to minimize movement restriction and discomfort. The devices may be configured to stretch in different ways to enable greater muscle stability. In view of their sizing and fit, these devices not only provide support but also improve circulation, and reduce pain and inflammation. Other types of flexible orthopedic devices and/or sleeves may include neoprene and/or other textiles and materials, and may include other tubular configurations or other shapes and configurations as well.
Unfortunately, known orthopedic devices are often lacking in adequate strapping and instead rely on their elasticity for being maintained on a limb and/or preventing unwanted migration of the device. These devices are limited to uniform elasticity, whereas the user may require different degrees of elasticity depending on where the device is intended be placed over the anatomy, for different types of recoveries from different types of pathologies, and/or for being retained on the user and treatment of specific anatomy. Such devices may not provide sufficient support, and rather offer more proprioceptive than functional capabilities.
In view of the tubular nature of many orthopedic devices including flexible orthopedic devices or sleeves, an issue often arises in migration control. Taking for instance a knee support, as the leg is conical, it is difficult to control the migration of the knee support during repeated movement between flexion and extension. Often straps are used to hold the support on the leg, or light frictional material is applied on the interior of the support. The straps may exert too much compressive force on the leg, creating discomfort and impeding activities of the user.
The frictional material which serves to hold the orthopedic device in place must have low frictional qualities so as to allow the user to slide the support on the leg, which has the undesired effect of reducing effectiveness of anti-migration means. Compensating for the use of low friction materials with a more highly compressive body panel in order to better hold the device in place also creates problems, as highly compressive body panels are extremely difficult to don, and when donned are uncomfortable for a user and are thus not suitable for extended use. These current means for migration control require improvement to balance and optimize migration control, ease of use, and donning and doffing of the support.
Strap designs in existing devices mistake the proper placement of straps and thus do not offer optimal support for patients suffering from pathologies such as osteoarthritis. Many orthopedic devices feature straps that are connected to each other at a crossing or intersecting point on the orthopedic device, usually directly at and over the hinge located on a medial or lateral side of the device. However, this is not an ideal placement of the intersection of the straps, as it does not effectively unload the knee, and thus does not effectively treat the underlying condition, such as osteoarthritis. Straps may also be difficult to repeatedly apply and adjust. Straps may stray from their intended location on the brace, reducing their effectiveness; straps may also get tangled with each other or be damaged by external forces.
Another issue that arises in orthopedic devices is difficulty in donning and doffing due to poor grip on the device by a user. Gripping the tubular body directly can lead to undesired stretching and damage to the device, while also being difficult for a user. Certain orthopedic devices allow for a tab that guides a strap on an outside surface of the device to serve additionally as a “pull tab,” but this needs improvement as it can lead to damage of the tab that must also guide a strap, and may also be inconvenient due to its location, as the tab could catch on objects, further causing damage and inconvenience and making long term use difficult.
Orthopedic devices often comprise a patella support for maintaining the patella in position to prevent dislocation. However, patella supports are frequently ineffective at holding the patella in position as the patella supports themselves, which often take the form of a pad attachable within a tubular body, are prone to migration or translation along a user's skin. Patella supports also can create pressure points or be inflexible which further adds to user discomfort.
From the foregoing, there is a need for an orthopedic device that provides improved migration control, comfort, and functionality, while being easier to don/doff, and providing enhanced biomechanical support of a joint, such as by properly locating straps and providing effective patella support.